Australian National Botanic Gardens

In Flower this Week

A weekly news sheet prepared by a Gardens' volunteer.
Numbers in square brackets [ ] refer to garden bed Sections. Plants in flower are in bold type.

12 December 2008

The flowers in the Gardens are forever changing but always magnificent, especially the red bottlebrushes and now the kangaroo paws. Opposite the Visitors Information Centre doors Pandorea jasminoides [Section 212] is colourful with its pink flowers with maroon centre covering the ascending vine. Not to be missed is the Sturt’s Desert Pea, Swainsona formosa showing the lovely dark centred red pea shaped flowers in pots edging Banks Walk.

However this walk is to discover some of many flowers in the Rock Garden starting at the base of the waterfall walking in a clockwise direction. In the small garden in front are emu bushes, Eremophila latrobei subsp. latrobei [Section 15v], an open shrub with cherry red tube-shaped flowers, while beside, Eremophila dalyana [Section 15v] of similar size bears soft pink flowers with grey foliage. Seek out Ptilotus manglesii [Section 15v], a low herb clad with showy cylindrical flower heads coloured tinsel pink and silver, crowded beside the rocks. Edging the stairs, Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section15d] with dark red toothbrush- like flowers amid the dense foliage, continues to spread over the rock fall. Verticordia galeata [Section 15d] is a dwarf shrub bright with its coverage of feathery yellow flowers. Behind is kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos ‘Regal Claw’ [Section 15d] presenting its reddish-green ‘paw’ flowers atop long bare stems. Bulbine glauca [Section 15d and elsewhere] has long succulent leaves and longer stems tipped with yellow flower heads. At the corner, Banksia blechnifolia [Section 15d] is a prostrate plant dense with long upright deeply lobed tough leaves which almost conceal its cylindrical upright flower spikes coloured dark red, all sitting on the ground.

Dampiera stricta [Section 15f] is a low suckering shrub with bright blue flowers on its upright stems. A grouping of bluebells, Wahlenbergia ceracea [Section 15m] displays its flowers while opposite, Verticordia mitchelliana [Section 15g] is a small open shrub bright with many well designed red flowers. In front, covering the rocks, Frankenia pauciflora [Section 15g] is a dense groundcover clad with tiny pink flowers. Banksiarepens [Section 15f] is another prostrate plant, somewhat similar to the former Banksia but with light brown flower spikes. Edging the ascending stairs, Grevillea ‘Mason’s Hybrid’ [Section 15h] spreads its long branches clad with terminal clusters of pink and cream flowers. Close by, Grevillea insignis subsp .insignis [Section 15h] is tall and open with spiky holly-like red-edged leaves and clusters of pink-red flowers.

From the top road the Pale Vanilla lily, Arthropodium milleflorum [Section 15h] has grass-like leaves and long graceful flower spikes bearing small pale pink-petalled flowers. Also along this path, kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 15h] display their burnt red flowers on long swaying branches. Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15h] is low and spreading, clad with white fan-shaped flowers, while Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15h] has bright blue flowers on the upright stems of this suckering plant. Take the path down to where Eremaea pauciflora [Section 15r] is clad with orange floral clusters. The white hibiscus flowers of Alyogyne huegelii [Section 15r] are seen among the shrubs here too. The bottom of this path is edged with many colourful daisies which can be admired again in the enclosed area to the left. The pink or white paper daisy flowers are Rhodanthe chlorocephala [Section 4] and the yellow flowers are Schoenia filifolia subsp. subulifolia [Section 4].

But then especially in front of the waterfall on the rocks are the many water dragons of various ages enjoying the sun.

Certainly a great area of the Gardens … Barbara Daly.